Gabrielle Carteris, known for her role as Andrea Zuckerman on the hit television series Beverly Hills, 90210, has drawn sharp criticism from fans after revealing she lied about her age to land the part.
Carteris was 29 years old when she auditioned for the role of a 16-year-old high school student. To increase her chances of being cast, she misrepresented her age as 21. The deception proved successful, and Carteris secured the role that would become her most recognized.
Following the show's success, the cast, comprised of teen idols, came under public scrutiny. It was during this period that the truth about Carteris' age surfaced. In a recent appearance on the podcast Still Here Hollywood, Carteris, now 65, recounted the story, which ignited a wave of scornful comments on an Instagram clip of the interview.
Many commenters expressed disbelief and derision. "She looked like she was 40 years old on 90210. Thought she played a teacher or parent," one user wrote. Another recalled, "By season 4 she looked her age and her character read more like everyone's great aunt making stews in her apartment than a 19 year old college student." Some claimed that the deception was obvious at the time, with one commenter stating, "Jesus. Lied we all knew she was 40 trying to play an 18 year old and we made fun of it then. Terrible casting."
Carteris has previously spoken about the pressures of age in the entertainment industry. In a past interview with People, she shared that a lawyer advised her she could sign a contract stating a different age, provided it was over 21. "When [my real age] did come out, the show was just starting to take off and my character was established enough that they did not fire me," she recalled. "But a producer did say to me: 'You’re lucky we didn’t know your age when we hired you.'"
She further reflected on her past struggles with her age, noting, "I've been at work where, you know, you look too old, you look too young. It's never just about necessarily the quality, or hasn't been about the quality of my work. I ran away from my age so early, because I always looked young. And that was the thing I didn't tell the truth about when I got 90210."
Beverly Hills, 90210, created by Darren Star, premiered in 1990 and launched the careers of its ensemble cast, including Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Brian Austin Green, Ian Ziering, and the late Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty. Carteris played Andrea Zuckerman for the first five seasons of the show and returned for guest appearances in later seasons.